Results tagged ‘ Rock of Love ’

Live from Detroit

Having Sunday off and with a day game Monday at Comerica Park, I decided to fly into Detroit early.

I know Detroit gets a bad rap nationally. For those of you who remember the comedy classic Kentucky Fried Movie, there’s a great Detroit reference in there that makes me laugh out loud every time I see it. But the truth is that Detroit is a very underrated city.

Anyway, my flight was delayed an hour once we boarded the plane because according to the pilot, the fuel gauge was not working right and the person on duty did not know how to read the backup gauge so they had to go find another mechanic. I’ll spare the airline’s name because this is such an utterly ridiculous situation.

So, for those keeping track, it was an hour sitting on the plane and then 41 minutes in the air. I arrived at the Renaissance in downtown Detroit and was stunned by the overhaul this place has undergone. New bar/restaurant in the lobby, new workout equipment. If you make the trip to Detroit, this hotel is a good place to stay.

Not many people were staying on Easter Sunday, though. In fact, I was told they were at five percent occupancy for a 70-floor hotel. That’s right–five percent. Business picks up quite a bit over the next few days.

As for the White Sox, the biggest story for me from the first week was Bartolo Colon. I know it’s one start, but the veteran was better than I ever expected. Actually, the pitching in general was impressive. Octavio Dotel might lead the American League in strikeouts without making a start. Ok, not really, but the starting five in the rotation and the back four of Dotel, Matt Thornton, Scott Linebrink and Bobby Jenks in the bullpen have been pretty much everything the White Sox wanted.

The one-two punch at the top of the order in Chris Getz and Josh Fields also seems to have great potential, and Dewayne Wise might just be a better fit at the bottom of the order. I realize White Sox fans wanted more than a 3-3 start at home, but the signs are there for a fairly bright future from just one week.

Before I sleep for a few hours, allow me to make one more point. I didn’t watch the Rock of Love finale because the hotel doesn’t have VH1, but I watched the final clips online. Lame is the word that comes to mind, although I picked Taya from the beginning. Hopefully, this is the last one, although there were some entertaining moments.
 

This and that

–DeWayne Wise tripled and homered in four at-bats, while Chris Stewart and Sergio Santos both went deep during the Dodgers’ 6-4 victory over the White Sox in Monday’s ‘B’ Game. The White Sox did not bat in the bottom of the ninth because Los Angeles ran out of pitchers. Franklyn German hurled two scorless innings, while Lance Broadway gave up one unearned run and fanned three in two innings.

–Jeff Marquez is scheduled to throw during Tuesday’s day off, probably working against Minor League hitters on one of the White Sox back fields at Camelback Ranch.

–Aaron Poreda worked four innings in relief on Monday, giving up one run and striking out three. This effort follows a strong three-inning stint last Wednesday in Las Vegas against the Cubs.

The big left-hander remains in play for that final spot out of the White Sox bullpen.

“(White sox pitching coach Don Cooper) is going to continue to work with him,” said White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen of Poreda, the team’s top pick in the 2007 First-Year Player Draft. “Hopefully, we get the best out of him and see what happens at the end of Spring Training.”

–Brent Lillibridge returned from a bout with the flu and played shortstop in the game against Cleveland, with Chris Getz playing second. Jayson Nix remains out of action with a sore right quad.

Getz’s three-run, inside-the-park home run hit in the second showed me he’s get a second gear speed-wise that I didn’t really get a chance to see last year. Getz shows good patience at the plate, and although Guillen does not want to add more pressure to what he already has, could Getz be a leadoff hitter? I think he could.

–Is this something–the White Sox are 0-5 against American League teams and 6-2 against the National League during 2009 Cactus League action.

–My original pick was Teya to win Rock of Love: Charm School Bus or whatever it’s called. I think Mindy is closing fast.

 

 

 

Wednesday musings

–A hearty congratulations to Jamie and Mark Buehrle on the birth of their daughter, Brooklyn Jayden, who entered the world early Tuesday morning at 6-pounds, 7-ounces. We will all have to wait until Mark returns Sunday to find out the origin of this beautiful name.

–Keep an eye on John Van Benschoten’s mound work, with the right-hander pitching tonight against the Cubs in Las Vegas. He has a shot to make the White Sox as a long reliever.

–Make sure you check out Gordon Beckham’s new blog, titled “Deep Thoughts By Gordon Beckham.” His first entry, The Japanese Game Show, is a fun read. He’s an articulate young man, and as I’ve said in this blog numerous times, Beckham is a player, with star written all over him.

–As I was sitting at dinner the other night at a restaurant in Westgate, three major White Sox fans–Mike, Bob and Bob (I remembered their names because they e-mailed me after the fact. The memory starts to go after 40), introduced themselves and we started talking baseball and about my job, etc. It was a most interesting conversation.

I wanted to encourage anyone who comes to Spring Training to check out the White Sox or any other baseball team, and bumps into me around town, to come up and introduce themselves. It’s always good to get fans’ perspectives on the team, as it often triggers future ideas for stories, and it’s just as good to get feedback on our coverage–positive or changes you would like to see made.

In fact, I’m currently in Las Vegas covering the White Sox and Cubs. So, anybody who made the trip, feel free to e-mail me. We could all meet up after the game, if we could just find a place that stays open late here.

– A special thanks to e-mailer Dan, who sent me a recommendation for Firefly Tapas Kitchen and Bar on Paradise in Las Vegas. Unfortunately, this short trip won’t allow me to check it out, but it’s on my list for the next visit.

–Three words to describe this past Sunday’s Rock of Love: Best episode ever, seriously!! That’s actually four words, but it was highly entertaining.

–The word shocking should never be used to describe an epidsode of The Bachelor, as I saw on one entertainment show following Monday’s finale, unless someone’s talking about the ridiculous ratings that show gets. Not to rain on anyone’s parade, but could someone explain the attraction of this show?

I know, I watch Rock of Love. But that show is real, at least.

–One final thought: I enjoy checking out the status updates of my various Facebook friends throughout the week. But one young lady on that list recently had an update that caught my eye. She apparently was watching the first White Sox Spring Training game in Glendale, played last Sunday afternoon, on her DVR that night.

That, my friends, is true devotion to one’s team!

 

 

Things I learned … Recently

–Apparently, I need to go see Slumdog Millionaire.

–I still think Mickey Rourke should have won Best Actor for The Wrestler. Then again, that was the only movie I saw out of the nominations.

–Michigan won’t be going to the NCAA Tournament unless the Wolverines win their next three games or win the Big 10 Tournament. What happened to Manny Harris, is what I want to know?

–Taking a nap from 5 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. is not conducive for falling asleep later that night. I tried this trick out on Saturday. It won’t happen again.

–There are FAR too many pseudo-reality shows on VH-1. Keep Rock of Love and dump the rest.

–I’m looking forward to Cactus League games actually beginning. Trips to Tucson on Las Vegas on the horizon in the next week.

More later. It’s 85 in Glendale today, by the way.

 

News, notes and quotes

For those interested, I found Rock of Love last night. It was on 10 p.m. in Arizona. Not the finest work from Brett Michaels’ and his ladies on this particular edition of this usually hilarious show.

–Here’s a question for the White Sox fans out there: Which member of the organization has the greatest connections throughout the country: A.J. Pierzynski or Ozzie Guillen, Jr.? With all due respect to Ozzie, Jr., it’s hard to argue with Pierzynski’s body of work. You can add playing golf at Augusta National to his various Super Bowls and National Title games attended, with White Sox hitting coach Greg Walker joining him on the historic course. Pierzynski offered the chance up to golf afficionado Ed Farmer, but Farmer was unable to make the trip, according to the White Sox catcher.

–No direct update from Bartolo Colon about how he feels overall and about his return to the White Sox. Colon declined an interview request from a group of media members on Monday morning.

–Carlos Quentin continues to use a hyperbaric chamber as he takes those final steps back on the field after last September’s wrist injury. Quentin believes the chamber and the hyperbaric theories helped him recover.

–Finally, here are today’s All-Star quotes:

“Colon was like 350 pounds when he won the Cy Young (in 2005). He’s not a model. He’s not a jockey. Colon is always going to be like that, but he’s in better shape than what I thought,” White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen on the burly addition to his starting rotation.

“Gavin Floyd, I watched him throw yesterday and he was amazing. And (John) Danks. I kind of don’t like that, when they show up the first day of Spring Training and throw 95 or 96, especially when they are throwing next to (Mark) Buehrle,” Guillen, again, of course.

“I really just enjoy hitting, in general,” Quentin, when asked if he was anxious to get back into action after last year’s rough finish.

 

No shortage of news

A busy first day at White Sox camp has come to a close, and I’m going to share a little more information as I sit here watching the NBA All-Star Game and frantically search for when Rock of Love airs in Peoria.

1) Both Octavio Dotel and A.J. Pierzynski didn’t have any real update in regard to their participation in the upcoming World Baseball Classic. Pierzynski was listed on Team USA’s provisional roster, as was White Sox reliever Matt Thornton, outfielder Carlos Quentin and pitcher John Danks, while the same holds true for Dotel on the Dominican Repbulic roster.

The interest in playing appears to be there for this pair of White Sox stalwarts.

“Yeah, but I’m trying to make sure everything is perfect with myself first,” Dotel said. “If everything is fine, I’ll play in the Classic. If not, I’ll stay here and get ready for 2009.

“I haven’t heard anything,” Pierzynski said. “People keep asking me, but I have no idea. We’ll see what happens. If I go, it will be great, but if I don’t, I’ll be happy to be here and be with my team. It would be fun to represent the USA, but if not, I’ll be happy to be in Glendale and go from there.”

For those who don’t remember, Danks and Quentin already have taken their names out of consideration for the competition.

2) I’m going to find out the name of Jose Contreras’ trainer on Monday, as the White Sox hurler came to camp 30 pounds lighter. White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen already called Contreras the story of camp, saying they probably could have had him throw on the side on Sunday. But the plan is for Contreras to work at his own pace and “not get too greedy,” according to Guillen. Dotel also lost seven pounds and looks to be in excellent condition, stating how he started a little earlier with his offseason workouts.

3) Mark Buehrle will skip a start or two during Spring Training, with the focus being on having him as strong as possible for the second half of the 2009 season. It’s a plan that worked to perfection in 2008. Buehrle will miss at least one start when he returns home to be with his wife, Jamie, who is expecting the couple’s second child due at the start of March.

 

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